Wittern Group Marks 85th Year In Vending; U-Select-It Parent Honors EmployeesIssue: Vol. 56, No. 11, November 2016The Wittern Group is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, and marked the occasion with an open house and employee awards program on Oct. 7. The company was founded as Hawkeye Novelty by Frank A. Wittern Sr. in 1931, with an investment of $12.50 and a garage on the east side of Des Moines. Its initial products were bulk nut venders [video]Author: Nick Montano

SEVA Confab Blends Business And Pleasure On The OceanfrontIssue: Vol. 56, No. 10, October 2016The Southeastern Vending Association's 11th annual convention brought more than 250 industry professionals together for three days of education, networking and recreation. By all accounts, the event was a success in spite of torrential downpours that pushed events originally planned for the beachfront and poolside indoors...Author: Emily Jed

Have You Requested An Absentee Ballot? Coffee, Tea & Water Coincides With Election DayIssue: Vol. 56, No. 10, October 2016United States citizens planning to attend this year's Coffee, Tea & Water conference in Nashville should apply for absentee ballots ASAP, if they haven't already, if they plan on voting in this year's presidential election. Election Day -- Tuesday, Nov. 8 -- falls in the week of the National Automatic Merchandising Association's annual CTW meeting...Author: Nick Montano

PepsiCo's Hello Goodness Vending Initiative Delivers 'Healthy' Snacks And Drinks At ScaleIssue: Vol. 56, No. 9, September 2016The snack and drink giant has been on a decades-long journey to broaden its product portfolio and offer consumers the foods and beverages they want. The groundbreaking Hello Goodness program makes PepsiCo the first "scale player" supplier with vending machines filled only with products that conform to specified nutritional criteria, branded to communicate that to consumers...Author: Emily Jed

Plan For Disaster Before It Strikes: Vending Industry Experts Share ExperiencesIssue: Vol. 56, No. 9, September 2016No vending or office coffee service company is invincible to the potential impact of a hurricane, flood, fire, power outage or other disaster. Yet many fail to plan for how they will maintain the continuity of their businesses in the aftermath of a natural or manmade disaster. Three industry veterans share recent experiences their companies have endured. They urge: be ready, not get ready...Author: Emily Jed

Vending Machines Are Rejecting Australia's Redesigned $5 BanknoteIssue: Vol. 56, No. 10, October 2016Australia's new $5 note has been designed to make counterfeiting even harder, and features braille lettering to help people with impaired sight. But these innovations are reportedly causing vending machines to reject them...Author: Tim Sanford

Maryland's Black Tie Services Sees Strong Results In Hello Goodness Test RunIssue: Vol. 56, No. 9, September 2016Scott Meskin of Black Tie Services Inc. piloted the first four dozen Hello Goodness machines in the Baltimore market beginning last April. The operator says he has the data to prove he is reaching a new segment of consumers that he was unable to achieve with previous attempts with his own vending machines dedicated to "healthy" products...Author: Emily Jed

Coca-Cola West And Coca-Cola East Japan Announce Proposed IntegrationIssue: Vol. 56, No. 10, October 2016The new Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. (CCBJI) will operate in Tokyo and 37 prefectures including Osaka, Nagoya and Kyoto, serving 110 million consumers and delivering approximately 86% of the volume sold by the Coca-Cola system in Japan [press release]Author: CCW & CCEJ Press Release

EVA Releases European Vending And OCS Market ReportIssue: Vol. 56, No. 10, October 2016European Vending Association has published its latest report on the vending and coffee service market in Europe. Based on full-year 2015 data, the new report involved extensive vending operator interviews...Author: Tim Sanford